Apparatus for producing carbon-black.



No. 877,596. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. A. D. PURTLE & I. E. ROWLAND. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING CARBON BLACK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1907.

Y and IRVEN E. ROWLAND, citizens of the United heated in a closed retort to a sufliciently high .side of the figure this retort is closed by a 4 supply for heating the retort to a sufficiently hig ' from the followin detailed description taken Referringto'the drawing, there is shown a UNITED STATES PATEN ora on.

ALBERT D. PURTLE AND IRVEN E. ROWLAND, or sALriM, wEs'r VIRGINIA.

I APPARATUS FOR PRYODUCING'CARIBON-BLACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Jan. 28, 1908.

Original application filed December 11. 1906' Serial No. 347 313- Divided and this application filed A ril 22. 1907- Serial No. 369.593.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, ALBERT D. PURTLE States, residin at Salem, in the county of Harrison and State of West Virginia, have 1 invented a new and useful Apparatus for Producing Carbon-Black, of which the follow' ing is aspecification.

This inventionhas reference to improvements in apparatus forthe production of carbon black, andis a division ofour application Serial No. 347,313, filed December 11, 1906, for process of making carbon black.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus wherein a hydrocarbon gas, such, for instance, as natural gas, may be degree by heat obtained from'a source exterior to the retort so that the hydrocarbon gas 1s decom osed and the carbon is deposited before it has undergone any changes.

The invention comprises a tubular retort, or a bank of such retorts, means for supplying gas such as natural gas thereto under pressure, and with an exterior heater preierably supplied from the same source of gas degree to cause the deposition on the interior walls of the retort of the carbon of the gas The retort is provided with a means whereby the deposited carbonmay be removed from the retort without the necessity of cooling the latter and with practically no interference with the continuous operation of the device. i

The invention will be fully understood in connection-wit the accompanying :drawing forming part of this SPGOifiCH/UI'OII, 1n Which,the figure is a longitudinal sectlon, partly in elevation, ofan apparatus for the production of carbon black constructed in accordance with our invention.

long tubular retort 1 which, however, need not 0f necessity be circular in cross section. This retort is sup orted in a suitable furnace structure 2 provi ed with a stack 3 and preferably constructed ofrefractory material. The furnace 2 may be of such capacity as to contain any suitable number of retorts .1. The retort 1 rojects beyond each end of the furnace 2 and at the end shown at the rlght Connected to the retort v1 at the end pro jecting beyond the furnace 2 at the righthand end of the figure, and which may be called the feedend of the retort, there is-a pipe 8 coming from any suitable source, not shown, of as supply, and this pipe includes a valve 9 y means of which the introduction of the gas coming through the pipe 8 into the retort may be regulated or stopped at .will. The pi e 8 enters the retort at a point between the scraper 6, when in its most retracted position, and the discharge end of the retort. Branching off from the supply pipe 8 there is another pipe 10 including a valve 11, and this pipe 10 has a erforated extension 12 arranged within the urnace beneaththe retort 1,,so that gas comin from the supply pipe 8 may be burne beneath the-retort and supply the necessary heatl In order that an intense heat may be generated by the burner formed by this perforated pipe 12, it is provided eX- terior to'the furnace with an air induction device 13 of the ordinary type, whereby the burner operates as an ordinary Bunsen burner. The other end of the retort, which will constitute the outlet end thereof, is provided with a hood14 terminating in a downwardlyextending portion connected to a pipe.or

conduit 15 throu h the intermediary of a valve 16 of large size, this valve being under the control of. a manually operated handle 17 Anothervalve 18 is also interposed in the pi e 15 beyond the valve 16. It will be un erstood that beneath the pi e or conduit 15 conveyers may be locate to carrythe carbon formed in the retorts to a suitable packing room. i

In using this apparatus for the production of carbon black 'a hydrocarbon gas is introduced through the pi e 8 under a considerable pressure, whic -may 'be varied within quite wide limits, and the pressure the h' her the greater the amount oi carbon deposited wit in a certain time.

e have 1' vusedfpressures as high as, one hundred and seventy five pounds to the square inch and as low "as one pound to the squareinch, and

have found that under the-same degree of 4 heat continued for the same length of time 1 p v the h' her pressures gave the reater de osit ,of caiion. However, since tl ie walls the tubular retorts are weakened by the heat employed so that the are unable to resist'so -5 great a pressure as W en coldLwe find that a pressure often poundsto the square inch will be safe and efficient.

The temperature we use is suflicient to bring the retor'ts to a bri ht cherry red in color, whichmeans that t ey are heated to about 800 degrees centigrade, but we are not {confined to such a degree of heat since this may also be varied and we merely give it as an example of what we have found in practice to give satisfactory resul t s. Now, when the retort has been filled with gas under pressure'to the exclusion of air and the heat is applied thereto, the gas is decomposedinto its constituents and the carbon is deposited onthe interior'walls of the retort in a flocculent form. lfthe carbon remained under the action of the heat for any considerable time it would be changed and would no longer possess the characteristics of the car- '25 bon which is produced in accordance with our. invention, which carbon black, as we produce it, is of a flocculent nature and intensely bluish-black in color. Now, 'while' the heat is maintained and while the gas is. still in the retort under pressure and while .thedeposition of carbon is progressing, the scraper 6 is operated so as t- 'scrape the deposited carbon away from the walls of the retort and push it toward the discharge end of the retort when the valve'16 may be opened and the carbon will fall through the conduit 15 .untilstopped by the other valve 18. On closing the valve 16 the valve 18 may be opened, and, the carbon will fall 40 e1t her into a suitable receptacle or on to a suitable conveyer as before mentioned, and be carried to' a packing room. The scraper 6 may be made to fit the retort fairly well 7 and the scraping action maybe performed iii-rapidly. The two valves 16 and 18 prevent any material amount of air to'enter into the interlor of the retort so that there is no danger of producing explosive mixtures.

.. T e process is to all intents and purposes,

a continuous recess and may be carried on wlth practica y no interruption, or if there be Interruption it is but momentary during the opening of the .valve 16 for the escape of. the carbon, and such interruption occupies 5-") but a very small fraction ofthe time employed in the operation of the apparatus; By the improved apparatus the carbon 'blac may be removed at such frequent intervals as to preclude'any possibility of inury by a too long continued subjection of the deposited carbon to the heat of the fur nace, and there is no necessity of reducinfig the heater allowing the'furnace to cool 0 It will be understood, of course, that the scrapers may be' operated by mechanical connections to a suitable source of power, but

such connections have not been shown in the drawings since they form no part of the presmeans for introducing hydrocarbon as there'- in under pressure, means within t e retort for removing the carbon deposited on the in-' terior walls thereof and conveying it to one proximately the same diameter throughout,

end of the retort, a valve at the discharge end of the retort, and a conduit and valve connected to the first-named valve for perm1tting the escape of deposited carbon without admitting air to the retort.

2'. An apparatus for the reduction of carbon black from a hydrocar o'n gas,comprising a tubular retort, 'a-gas feedlng pipe connected thereto near one end thereof,a hood covering the other end of the retort, a valve connected to said hood, a conduit leading from said valve, a valve interposed in said conduit, and a scraper of a diameter approximately the sameas' the interior diameter of the retort and movable longitudinally in said retort from a point on the side of the feed pipe remote from the discharge end of the retort to said discharge end.

3, An apparatus for the production of carbon black comprising a tubular retort, a furnace inclosing the same except at the ends, a gas burner within the furnace and in operative relation to the walls of the retort, a scraper within the retort and movable longitudinally with reference to the same, a gas supply pipe connected to one end of the retort exterlor to the furnace and also connect delivery end and a valved conduit leading from,said delivery end of the hood. 1

In testimony'that we claim they forego ng as our own, we have hereto affixed our s1gnaturesm the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT D. PURTLEQ IRVEN E. ROWLAND. Witnesses: I v

, .R. 'T. REEF,

F. S. Limit. 

